Holiday Strategy for Chocoholics
December 9, 2004

Now that the turkey compulsories are complete, it’s time to ‘fess up and admit why we stage a marathon of holidays at year’s end: to eat more chocolate of course! Chocolate soufflés, chocolate truffles, chocolate mousse, profiteroles with chocolate sauce-- it’s a sanctioned bacchanal of cocoa decadence. During this season of merry madness my daily chocolate fix will be a chunk of chocolate nut bark; it is a simple but luxurious way to celebrate a coffee break, or to end a meal. It makes a practical gift, too: a large package of Chocolate Almond Bark is already in the mail to Kate (what could be a better comfort to my child during exam week?)

Chocolate nut bark is an expensive item at places like Godiva, but it is easy to make at home provided you begin with excellent ingredients. I buy premium chocolate in one pound bricks from Lake Champlain Chocolate on Pine Street. They sell the big daddies of the chocolate world: Belgium’s Valrhona and Callebaut, and the El Rey from Venezuela, in milk, dark and white. I buy large bags of almonds, pecans, cashews and pistachios from Costco and toast them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees before adding them in various combinations to the chocolate. While not strictly chocolate-addict approved, festive additions such as dried fruits, crushed candy canes and coconut are permitted during the month of December.

One pound of chocolate will be just right for a 12”x16” cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Prep the chocolate brick by removing plastic wrap and placing it in a zip lock bag. Take a hammer to it, cracking it into bite-sized pieces; this is a great holiday stress-buster. Place the chunks of chocolate in a metal bowl that is fitted snugly over a pot on the stove. The pot should hold 3” water should simmer not boil. Stir the chocolate with a chopstick until it is melted and smooth.

Tempering the chocolate is the definitive step that separates the true chocolate aficionado from the desperate junkie. Tempering the chocolate is easy and ensures that the finished product will have a lovely sheen and nice snap to the bark. Pour one third of the melted chocolate onto a clean, smooth work surface and work with a rubber spatula to spread out the chocolate and then regroup it. Do this for 2-3 minutes or until the chocolate is thick with a dull finish; this is called “seeded” chocolate (temperature will be 82-84 degrees). Add it back to remaining warm chocolate and stir well. Pour onto prepared cookie sheet and smooth to desired thickness. With a clean finger swirl in nuts and fruits then place trays in a cool environment (the garage is perfect) for a few minutes. Crack bark into pieces and store in ziplock bags in a cool, dry place; devour any remnants, they do not count as your daily fix.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008